FARMINGTON— Add up all the miles of trails in Davis County and you could probably make it half way to Denver or Reno, Nev.

More trails are continually being added and their popularity seems to be ever greater.

“You can connect with nature, work, friends” by using trails, said County Commissioner Louenda Downs.

She is an avid trails advocate and has hiked many of them herself over the years.

Farmington, which reportedly has the second highest mileage of trails of any city in the state, is opening new trails, she said.

From a biking aspect that includes trail use, Utah has jumped from 31st place in the nation to eighth in terms of a bicycle friendly environment, Downs said.

To make it easier for Davis County residents to connect with trails close to home or across the county, a map is due to be released shortly.

Jeff Oyler of the Davis County Planning Office, oversees trails as part of his duties. “We’re just getting ready to print the map that will show all existing trails countywide.”

Hiking and biking trails will be shown in this first-ever effort that has included working closely with the county’s 15 cities.

“We have trails for all abilities, both paved and unpaved,” he said. That ranges from the 75-mile Railroad Trail that follows the old Denver, Rio Grande & Western line from Weber County into Salt Lake County, and is paved and flat, to more mountainous trails.

Trails are regularly discussed amongst city planners who attend a monthly meeting. They’re joined by the Utah Department of Transportation and UTA.

More people are using trails to commute to jobs both in the county and beyond, to families using them for biking, walking and running, he said.

“More are clamoring for trails” and related facilities, Oyler said. UDOT is listening, and including bike/pedestrian areas as part of new bridges being built on 2600 and 500 South and 400 North in south Davis County.

West Bountiful is planning to build a restroom to serve Legacy users and others – the first such facility along the pakrway.

“Our goal is to help provide people with may transportation choices,” Downs said. “We hope to improve the health environment through cleaner air, provide a quality of life” through continued development of trails.